Homebrew O5E PH to A5E AG Feat Comparison 1.1

[Tessarael]

To put it differently, I prefer the A5E Tenacious feat (the 5E/5.5E Resilient feat, all three are the same) to the A5E Battle Caster / 5E War Caster feat; whereas the 5.5E War Caster version is of comparable effectiveness to Tenacious/Resilient.

 

[Tessarael]

Regarding A5E feats missing +1 to an ability vs. 5.5E, here are my notes on which should get one:

• Ace Driver: +1 Dexterity
• Alley Adventurer: +1 Dexterity or Wisdom
• Arctech Tinkerer: +1 Intelligence
• Battle Caster: Use the War Caster 2024 version
• Brook No Delay: +1 Dexterity or Strength
• Brutal Attack: Use the Crusher, Piercer, or Slasher 2024 version
• Bull Rush: Use the Charger 2024 version
• Combat Thievery: +1 Dexterity
• Covert Training: +1 Dexterity or Intelligence
• Crossbow Expertise: Use the Crossbow Expert 2024 version
• Deadeye: Use the Sharpshooter 2024 version
• Deflector: +1 Dexterity or Strength
• Display of Heroism: +1 Wisdom
• Docker’s Jank: +1 Charisma
• Dual Pistols: +1 Dexterity
• Dual-Wielding Expert: Use the Dual Wielder 2024
• Dungeoneer: +1 Dexterity or Wisdom
• Expression of Belief: +1 Constitution or Wisdom
• Face in the Crowd: +1 Dexterity or Charisma
• Familiar to the Watch: +1 Charisma or Strength
• Fast Hands: +1 Dexterity or Strength
• Fear Breaker: +1 Charisma or Strength
• Grappler: Use the Grappler 2024 version
• Guarded Warrior: +1 Dexterity or Strength
• Heraldic Training: +1 Charisma or Strength, if you do not get Shield proficiency from this feat.
• Hidden Armorer: +1 Dexterity or Charisma
• Howling Sledder: +1 Charisma or Wisdom
• Idealistic Leader: +1 Charisma or Wisdom
• Improvisation Genius: +1 Intelligence or Wisdom,
• Ingenious Training: +1 Dexterity or Intelligence
• Master of Summons: +1 Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom
• Medium Armor Expert: Use the Medium Armor Master 2024 version
• Monster Hunter: +1 Constitution, Dexterity, or Strength
• Mounted Warrior: +1 Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom
• Natural Warrior: +1 Constitution or Dexterity
• Neighborhood Figure: +1 Charisma or Wisdom
• Office Holder: +1 Charisma
• Polearm Savant: +1 Dexterity or Strength
• Power Caster: +1 Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom
• Primordial Caster: +1 Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom
• Psychic Prodigy: +1 Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom
• Rally Point Warrior: +1 Charisma or Constitution
• Rallying Speaker: +1 Charisma
• Shield Focus: +1 Strength
• Shield of Festung: This feat should give +1 Strength OR Wisdom, not +1 to both.
• Skillful: +1 Dexterity or Intelligence
• Skirmisher: +1 Constitution or Dexterity
• Snoop: +1 Charisma, Dexterity, or Wisdom
• Spellbreaker: +1 Dexterity or Strength
• Stealth Expert: +1 Dexterity
• Survivor: +1 Constitution
• Swift Combatant: +1 Constitution or Dexterity
• Tactical Support: +1 Charisma, Intelligence, or Strength
• The Man with 2 Guns is God: +1 Dexterity
• Unfinished Business: +1 Charisma or Wisdom
• Vendetta: +1 Constitution, Dexterity, or Wisdom
• Vengeful Protector: +1 Constitution or Strength
• Well-Heeled: +1 Charisma
• Wonder of the Lost Ages: +1 to one ability score of your choosing
• Woodcraft Training: +1 Dexterity, Wisdom, or Strength

Obviously, a change like this needs to be at the DM level as to whether they want to house rule in this manner. I intend to use this for my next campaign.

 

[Sepulchre]

Instead of making a list, I just give my players a Feat and a +1 ASI. If you want a full ASI, they can take one of the existing half-feats.

 

[lichmaster]

Instead of making a list, I just give my players a Feat and a +1 ASI. If you want a full ASI, they can take one of the existing half-feats.

I agree, is more scalable and future proof. Worst case I can tell my players that the choice seems at odds with the feat and they need to argue how Bull Rush improves their Wisdom!

 

[Tessarael]

Instead of making a list, I just give my players a Feat and a +1 ASI. If you want a full ASI, they can take one of the existing half-feats.

The problem with that approach is that some feats are indeed significantly weaker, particularly without the +1 to an ability score, so whether or not you add +1 to all feats, doesn't resolve the balance issue. I agree that what I came up with is a little on the complicated side. Another alternative is just to say use the 5.5E version of an A5E feat if it exists, if you want to adopt the 5.5E balancing approach; but that doesn't address A5E feats that don't have a 5.5E equivalent, hence my long list.

 

[lichmaster]

The problem with that approach is that some feats are indeed significantly weaker, particularly without the +1 to an ability score, so whether or not you add +1 to all feats, doesn't resolve the balance issue. I agree that what I came up with is a little on the complicated side. Another alternative is just to say use the 5.5E version of an A5E feat if it exists, if you want to adopt the 5.5E balancing approach; but that doesn't address A5E feats that don't have a 5.5E equivalent, hence my long list.

I agree with that, but it's a structural problem that's quite hard to fix IMO. Not all feats have the same "power" and the ultimate feel of balance can only be gauged at the table.
Unsatisfactory, I guess, but I think there should be an indication in the core rules suggesting DMs to give a +1 to a chosen stat if the feat feels underwhelming.
Besides, I really dislike the fact that RAW ASI are standard part of the game and feats are not, IMO it should be the opposite

 

[Tessarael]

The reason why ability increases are standard in the rules is for simpler playing styles. As a player, I do find that ability score increases are generally better until 8th level, i.e., to get the primary ability score to 20. So that is a motivation for things like origin feats and one or two other feats sprinkled at intermediate character levels if you want a campaign with the additional complexity of feats.

Your point regarding feat balance varying in play is certainly true. In particular, some feats will be less beneficial for certain builds too.

 

[lichmaster]

The reason why ability increases are standard in the rules is for simpler playing styles. As a player, I do find that ability score increases are generally better until 8th level, i.e., to get the primary ability score to 20. So that is a motivation for things like origin feats and one or two other feats sprinkled at intermediate character levels if you want a campaign with the additional complexity of feats.

I completely agree with that. ASI however make magic items granting stat bonus either useless or only mildly interesting, whereas in previous editions they were always a big deal.
Kinda sucks IMO that gauntlets of power are not particularly coveted by martial characters, for example. Also, I find it extremely disappointing that they grant odd scores instead of even ones, that additional point is pretty much always useless.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

The reason why ability increases are standard in the rules is for simpler playing styles.

that and backwards compatibility, i presume.

I completely agree with that. ASI however make magic items granting stat bonus either useless or only mildly interesting, whereas in previous editions they were always a big deal.
Kinda sucks IMO that gauntlets of power are not particularly coveted by martial characters, for example. Also, I find it extremely disappointing that they grant odd scores instead of even ones, that additional point is pretty much always useless.

in retrospect i think it was kind of a mistake to have the stat setting items not have a boost as an alternative if your stat was already at that value instead, because as is it just encourages giving stat boosting items to characters it doesn't fit (or in the case of the hammer of thunderbolts, wasting attunement slots to use a single magic weapon).

you could also argue it was a mistake to have ability modifiers be such an ingrained part of the game that asis became a needed feature, but that'd be on wotc and 5e, not en and a5e. i mean, so is the other thing, but that's at least changeable without completely screwing with the system's fundamentals (avoiding which was kind of half the point of a5e to begin with).

 

[Tessarael]

The ability boost items that give +2 work okay. The ones that give a flat ability score work weirdly, because they provide less, or sometimes no benefit, to characters that have that as a primary ability score as it is already high for them.

We ended up modifying them to work in this manner:

• Uncommon, cost 2000gp, ability score of 13 or +2 to your ability to a maximum of 20, whichever is higher.
• Rare, cost 8000gp, ability score of 17 or +4 to your ability to a maximum of 20, whichever is higher.
• Very rare, cost 18000gp, ability score of 21

They still suffer the same problem, but to a lesser extent, that a character with a high ability score benefits less. And if you already have an ability score of 20, you're not going to get any benefit.